Things are looking up for Scottish Labour

Scottish Labour gathers in Glasgow this weekend in both a mental and electoral state few thought achievable just a short few years ago. Having polled less than 10 per cent in the (albeit meaningless) European Parliament elections of 2019, followed by another humiliating third placed finish at the Holyrood elections of 2021 with less than 18 per cent of the regional vote, Labour looked helpless and hopeless.

But things change. Quickly. Lenin said that there are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. Scottish Labour’s ascent is not quite in that category, but nevertheless Anas Sarwar’s outfit has rapidly morphed from the irrelevant cousin-at-the-wedding to the bride-to-be.

Scottish Labour lack breadth, but they have a decent amount of depth. Jackie Baillie (shadow health minister) and Pam Duncan-Glancy (shadow education minister) appear prepared to think the hitherto unthinkable in some areas of public service provision – albeit not to the degree that reformers like me may wish.